Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what cost estimating methodology was used by HS2 Ltd to calculate the total cost of earthworks for the C2 North Portal Chiltern Tunnels to Brackley section of the HS2 Phase One route and for the preferred HS2 Phase One aerial route at Wendover; and whether HS2 Ltd used the same cost estimating methodology to calculate the total cost of earthworks required on the HS2 Phase One and Phase Two routes.

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HS2 Ltd used an average per kilometre cost estimating model to calculate the total cost of earthworks along the HS2 Phase One and Phase Two routes.

baroness sugg: The estimating methodology for the earthworks for C2 North Portal Chiltern Tunnels to Brackley section of the Phase One route and for the preferred Phase One aerial route at Wendover used by HS2 Ltd is the Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement (CESMM4). In calculating the cost of earthworks along the Phase One and Phase Two route, HS2 Ltd created parameter cost models for all major civil assets including earthworks. The parameter cost models allowed HS2 Ltd to produce a consistent approach to the production of bottom up estimates for each type of asset incorporating cost drivers specific to HS2 Ltd. These were then used by HS2 Ltd to provide detailed specific earthworks costs based upon specific quantities and cost drivers.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of HS2 Ltd’s cost estimating model used to calculate the total cost of earthworks required on the HS2 Phase One and Phase Two routes

baroness sugg: Assessment and assurance of the development of cost estimates by HS2 Ltd is provided by the Department’s independent Project Representative. This is in addition to assurance from the Major Projects Authority’s Project Assessment Review and the Major Project Review Group’s external reviews at regular intervals throughout the process.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the potential disruption to wildlife caused by the construction of the HS2 Phase One line.

baroness sugg: HS2 has been designed with a view to avoiding or reducing impacts on habitats and species. Where avoidance is not possible, mitigation and compensation to address effects on legally protected wildlife includes relocating species and providing replacement habitat. For example, underpasses and green bridges will provide safe crossing points for bats and other wildlife. Compensation for great crested newts will include replacement ponds, habitat and hibernation features. Many of the first works now underway for the railway involve the creation of such replacement habitats for wildlife. Measures such as these will contribute to HS2’s overall aim of achieving “no net loss” in biodiversity as a consequence of building the railway.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have finalised plans and construction specifications for the earthworks and fencing associated with the construction of the HS2 Phase One line.

baroness sugg: HS2 Ltd has been working with main work civil contractors to develop scheme designs and the construction programme for the line of route works on Phase One. Scheme Design will continue until the end of 2018 when HS2 Ltd expects to agree construction plans and programmes with the main works contractors, with a view to commencing construction works in 2019. Enabling works will continue throughout 2018.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord mancroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government which contractors are going to install and maintain the railway security and boundary fences along the HS2 Phase One line.

baroness sugg: The fencing during the construction period of HS2 Phase One will be installed by the Main Works Civils Contractors, SCS JV, Align JV, EK JV and BBV JV. They will be responsible for the installation and maintenance throughout the programmed works. The long term maintenance post opening will be carried out by the Infrastructure Manager.

Roads: South West

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the total cost of the scheme to improve the A303 Sparkford to Ilchester and the A358 Southfields to the M5 is allocated toenable Highways England to obtain the necessary Development Consent Order.

baroness sugg: The A303 Sparkford to Ilchester scheme announced its preferred route in October 2017. Based on current estimates, the scheme has allocated seven percent (£12 million) of its total scheme cost of £179 million to progress up to obtaining the relevant Development Consent Order. The A358 Taunton to Southfields scheme is at an earlier stage of development and a preferred route announcement is planned for later this year. Depending on which route option is chosen, the scheme estimates that four percent to five percent of its total scheme cost (ranging from £365 million - £450 million) will be allocated to progress the scheme up to obtaining the relevant Development Consent Order.

Railway Track: Construction

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 22 February (HL5513) and the Freedom of Information request dated 30 November 2017 requesting a copy of the report by PwC on comparative costs of developing and constructing high speed lines in Europe, what are the complex public interest considerations that have so far prevented its publication; whether they intend to publish that report; and if so, when.

baroness sugg: The information requested was withheld under section 22 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is intended for future publication. In applying this exemption we had to balance complex public interest consideration in withholding or disclosing the report. The Department for Transport found the balance to be in favour of withholding at that time and that remains our position. I can confirm that HS2 Ltd do intend to publish this report in the near future.

Bus Services: Wheelchairs

lord hughes of woodside: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byBaroness Sugg on 15 May (HL Deb, col 587), how many staff are working on the task and finish group set up to improve acces to wheelchair space on buses; and how much time each member of staff has spent working on the group.

baroness sugg: The Task and Finish Group on the Use of Wheelchair Spaces on Buses was established to advise Ministers on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment on First Group PLC vs Paulley and to recommend actions to support access to the wheelchair space. It reported to Ministers in September 2017. In the Department for Transport around 25 officials work on policy relating to buses, including Government’s response to the Task and Finish Group. We do not hold records on the time officials allocate to individual projects, and so it is not possible to comment on this. We are committed to engaging further with affected stakeholders before bringing forward a package of measures informed by the advice received.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Global Navigation Satellite Systems

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they plan to allocate should it be necessary to develop a UK equivalent to the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system after Brexit.

lord henley: The UK Space Agency will lead a cross-Government taskforce, working with engineering and space experts in the UK, to rapidly develop plans for a British Global Navigation Satellite System with the aim of launching our own system from the mid-2020s onwards. Value for money will be a key consideration of this taskforce. In the long term, we believe that such a system could be operated for around the same annual cost as the UK’s current contribution to the EU’s Galileo programme.

Small Businesses: Finance

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave madeofemerging forms of business financing for small and medium enterprises by institutions like PayPal and Amazon.

lord henley: The UK is fortunate in having one of the most diverse finance markets in the world, enabling businesses to start up, invest and grow. The Government welcomes new business finance providers and products that make a positive contribution to a diverse, competitive and fair market. We are working to improve access to finance for small and mid-sized businesses through targeted interventions, the majority of which are delivered in partnership with the Government-owned British Business Bank. Government continually monitors the operation of finance markets and the availability of finance to SMEs. A comprehensive analysis of business financing for small and medium enterprises is published annually by the British Business Bank and is available as attached.  



BBB - Small Business Finance Markets report 2017-8
(PDF Document, 483.63 KB)

Business: Regulation

baroness andrews: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to include within the definition of qualifying regulatory provisions for the business impact target (1) all EU-derived domestic legislation retained after the UK leaves the EU, and (2) all regulations made under the provisions of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.

lord henley: We are considering the most appropriate scope for the business impact target and will make an announcement in due course. The statutory deadline for determining the target, scope and methodology of the business impact target is 20 June.

Business: Regulation

baroness andrews: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to exclude from the qualifying regulatory provisions used for the business impact target any measures other than those set out in section 22(4) of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

lord henley: We are considering the most appropriate scope for the business impact target and will make an announcement in due course. The statutory deadline for determining the target, scope and methodology of the business impact target is 20 June.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

British Overseas Territories: Self-determination of States

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any discussions, including informal discussions, have been held with any of the UK Overseas Territoriessince 2016 about greater self-determination.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: At both the 2016 and 2017 Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Councils, the Government of the United Kingdom and the leaders of the Overseas Territories agreed that the fundamental structure of their constitutional relationships was the right one. Powers have been devolved to the elected Governments of the territories wherever possible, consistent with the United Kingdom retaining those powers necessary to discharge its sovereign responsibilities. They also agreed the need to ensure that constitutional arrangements developed effectively to promote the best interests of the Territories and of the United Kingdom.​ This is a matter for continuing discussion between the UK and those Territories.

Syria: White Helmets

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will re-consider their financial support for the White Helmets in Syria following the United States' suspension of its funding.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains committed to supporting Syrian Civil Defence (also known as the White Helmets) and the vital work they do providing life-saving assistance to civilians affected by Syria's conflict.

Cameroon: Human Rights

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Cameroon about the human rights of the English speaking minorities in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: During her recent visit to Cameroon the Minister for Africa (Mrs Baldwin) met the Prime Minister and the Ministers of External Relations; Territorial Administration; and Defence where they discussed the ongoing tensions in Cameroon's Anglophone regions. She reinforced the importance of respecting human rights in a challenging security environment.The Minister for Africa also wrote to President Biya to set out our concerns and seeking progress on commitments he made in his New Year message.During CHOGM the Foreign Secretary met Cameroonian Prime Minister Yang and pressed for urgent action to resolve the dispute and associated violence. The Minister for Africa also met with Commonwealth Minister Mbayu and gave the same message. She confirmed that the UK stands ready to help.Additionally the British High Commissioner has met with opposition groups to discuss human rights and the Minister for Africa has urged counterparts to resolve issues through this inclusive dialogue. The British High Commissioner continues to look for ways to engage constructively on this issue.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Poliomyelitis

baroness hayman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) ensure progress made by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is sustained after polio funding is withdrawn in countries transitioning away from GPEI support in 2019, and (2) minimise the detrimental consequences the transition could have on basic health infrastructure in those countries.

lord bates: Since its launch in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has successfully led global efforts that have reduced Wild Polio Virus cases by more than 99% from 350,000 cases a year in 125 countries to eight cases so far this year in only three endemic countries.The UK has played a leading role in this process and UK support to the GPEI will mean up to 45 million children can be vaccinated against polio each year until 2020.The UK Government has advocated strongly, with all relevant players, that the consequences of a reduction in polio funds (as eradication nears) must be understood and that the benefits of the polio eradication system for wider health systems are realised. The World Health Organisation will present a “Global Polio Transition Strategic Action Plan” to the World Health Assembly at the end of May 2018. The UK will scrutinise this carefully and hold WHO to account for its leadership of this area.

Cameroon: Human Rights

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of disturbances in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon on the development of that country.

lord bates: The disturbances in the Anglophone region were the focus of conversations between the Foreign Secretary and the Cameroonian Prime Minister Yang at the recent Commonwealth Conference, and the Minister for Africa’s visit in February, where she visited the Anglophone region. There is currently no official assessment of the longer-term development impact of unrest in the Anglophone region but the UN have registered 21,291 refugees in Nigeria and estimate there are 150,000 internally displaced people.

Cameroon: Humanitarian Aid

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide humanitarian assistance to (1) Cameroonian refugees, (2) internally displaced persons, and (3) other refugees in Cameroon.

lord bates: We are providing at least £5 million in humanitarian assistance this year to refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the Lake Chad Basin crisis, and to refugees from the Central African Republic in Cameroon. This includes basic support in nutrition, health, food security and livelihoods. 21,291 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria are being supported by UNHCR, which DFID supports through their core budget. Additionally, the EU Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations is providing €300,000, which the UK also contributes to.

Burma: Internally Displaced People

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to address the humanitarian needs ofinternally displaced peoplefollowing the recent military offensive by the Burmese Army in the MutrawDistrict of Karen State.

lord bates: The UK is deeply concerned about the intensifying conflict in Karen state, including credible reports of human rights abuses and violations. DFID continues to monitor the evolving situation and are in discussions with partners regarding prospective funding for the internally displaced people affected. We will continue to urge all parties to abide by the National Ceasefire Agreement at every opportunity.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional humanitarian aid they are providing to (1) Bangladeshi authorities, (2) non-governmental organisations, and (3) Department for International Development operations, dealing with the effects of the current monsoon on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

lord bates: With support from the UK, UN agencies, the Red Cross and NGOs on the ground are working tirelessly on measures to improve conditions in the camps and to prepare for extreme weather. The UK has led the way so far in terms of the scale and speed of our response to the crisis, pledging £129m in humanitarian support. As part of our response we are taking a wide range of measures to improve flood and cyclone preparedness, including improved shelters, water and sanitation, vaccination campaigns and prepositioning of emergency supplies.

Syria: Overseas Aid

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by the Secretary of State for International Development on 30 April (HC Deb, col 62), how they propose to provide support to the local administrations in the extremist controlled Idlib area.

lord bates: Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) we are helping to meet the needs of Syrian communities in Idlib. The CSSF supports the local administration and citizens’ participation in areas controlled by the moderate opposition through a portfolio of education, livelihoods and governance programmes. The UK has extensive controls in place to ensure that UK aid reaches those who need it and that it does not benefit extremists groups, including vetting processes to ensure such groups are not part of the Councils with which we work and a variety of sources to monitor ongoing developments in communities. We stop funding to any project or sub-project where we have any concern that it could benefit proscribed groups.

Department for Education

Pupils: Travellers

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategies are in place to improve school attainment performance of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma pupils from early years onwards.

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategies are in place to improve access for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma young people to (1) further education, (2) higher education, and (3) apprenticeships.

lord agnew of oulton: Children from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are able to take advantage of early years education provision. Since 2013, over half a million of the country’s most disadvantaged two year olds, including those from Gypsy Roma and Traveller populations, have benefitted from 15 hours of free early education a week, and can continue this early education with 15 hours of free early education at ages 3 and 4. In the recently published strategy ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’ a copy of which is available in the Library of the House of Lords, an ambition was laid out to close the word gap backed by over £100 million of investment. Once a child is at school the Pupil Premium is provided, an additional funding provision that continues with nearly £2.5 billion this year alone, to help schools improve the progress and attainment of their disadvantaged pupils. High proportions of Gypsy Roma and Traveller pupils are eligible for and benefit from this support. The department also provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds to help with the costs associated with staying in post 16 education such as travel and course equipment. The department is taking action to ensure that high quality apprenticeships are accessible to all. The Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network and recently launched partnership with five major cities in England, aim to drive up apprenticeships among underrepresented groups. In Higher Education, providers will now be required to publish application data broken down by ethnicity and those charging higher fees will be required to agree Access and Participation Plans. The plans will set out measures to support the access and successful participation for disadvantaged and under-represented groups, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. In January 2018 the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller stakeholder group was established to inform policy development to raise the attainment and participation of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils at all stages of education. In March 2018 a review of exclusions was launched, exploring why certain pupil groups, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils, are over-represented in exclusions statistics. The department continues to collaborate with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on their 2018-19 pilot programme to improve the social integration of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. In addition as part of the Careers Strategy, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller youth will be included as a target group for a pilot testing ways of providing guidance on routes into careers to vulnerable groups.

Schools: Governing Bodies

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information, if any, they hold on the (1) ethnicity, and (2) religious beliefs, of school governors in England.

lord agnew of oulton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Schools

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have conducted on school twinning programmes and their progress in improving community cohesion and religious understanding.

lord agnew of oulton: We want children and young people to have a greater awareness and experience of meeting those from backgrounds different to their own. The Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are jointly providing funding of over £700,000 for a programme run by the Schools Linking Network. The programme provides sustained opportunities for children and young people from different communities to meet, build new relationships, work together and contribute to the wider community. This follows the National Foundation for Educational Research report published by the department in 2011 (attached) which showed that schools linking can have a positive impact on many aspects of pupils’ skills, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours.An evaluation strategy for the current programme is in place and we will ensure we learn from its results to develop our approach to school linking. 



Schools_Linking_Network_Final_Report
(PDF Document, 2.25 MB)

Church Schools

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of church schools to community cohesion.

lord agnew of oulton: Church schools are an important part of our diverse education system, play a key role in their local communities and many have mixed intakes. The 2017 School Census shows that in secondary Church of England and Catholic state-funded schools 32.4% and 37.6% of pupils are from non-White ethnic backgrounds, respectively. This is compared to 29.2% in non-faith schools. In primary Church of England and Catholic state-funded schools 22.1% and 39.8% of pupils are from non-white ethnic backgrounds respectively, compared to 34.7% in non-faith schools. There are good examples of church schools participating in linking activities with schools from different faiths or no faith. We aim to work closely with the religious bodies, which oversee church schools to build on their excellent work so far.

Church Schools

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to agreeing a new model church supplemental agreement.

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with church representatives regarding a new model church supplemental agreement by denomination.

lord agnew of oulton: The department keeps model documentation used by academy trusts under review and this includes the Church Supplemental Agreement. Department for Education ministers and officials meet with representatives of the Church of England and Catholic Church on a regular basis and discuss a range of topics including the Church Supplemental Agreement.

Citizenship: Secondary Education

lord norton of louth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers there are in secondary schools in England who are qualified citizenship education teachers.

lord agnew of oulton: In November 2016 there were 4,800 teachers in state funded secondary schools teaching citizenship. Of these we estimate that 8.7% had a relevant post A level qualification in the subject. A relevant post A level qualification is defined as a first degree or higher, BEd degree, PGCE, Certificate of Education or any other qualification at National Qualifications Framework level 4 or above in either citizenship, international relations, international, EU or UK politics or polictical theory. There are also 10.6% of citizenship teachers with post A level qualification in history that prepare teachers well for teaching British citizenship. The source of this information is the annual school workforce census. The census collects the post A level qualifications of teachers and the curriculum taught by teachers for around 75% of secondary schools. As the return is incomplete and the number of citizenship teachers is fairly small there is some uncertainty around the proportion provided and therefore we estimate there may be a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2%.  Information on post A level qualifications held by teachers, in the subject they teach, is published in Table 12 of the school workforce in England statistical publication. This is attached and available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2016. The data for November 2017 is expected to be published in June 2018.



Table_12_Highest_post_A_Level_qualifications
(PDF Document, 47.5 KB)

Citizenship: Secondary Education

lord norton of louth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what practical steps they are taking to ensure that citizenship education in secondary schools is treated on a par with other subjects in the national curriculum.

lord agnew of oulton: Citizenship has a strong position in secondary schools, where it is part of the national curriculum in both key stages 3 and 4. It is one of only six compulsory subjects to be included in the key stage 4 curriculum. Citizenship education can also support schools to deliver their duties regarding the spiritual, moral, social and culture development of pupils, and promoting fundamental British values. The recent report published by the Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement, ‘The Ties that Bind: Civic Engagement in the 21st Century’ made a number of recommendations regarding the quality and status of citizenship education in schools. We are currently considering these recommendations and will respond fully in due course.

Ministry of Justice

Hate Crime: Females

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people identifying as trans have been convicted of offences against women in each of the last five years.

lord keen of elie: It is not possible to determine from information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice, the number of offenders who identify as transgender that have been convicted of offences against women, without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Department for International Trade

Whisky: Exports

the earl of kinnoull: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether new tariffs would be payable during the transition period on Scotch whisky exports to all markets where EU trade agreements are currently in force.

baroness fairhead: The agreement reached between the EU and the UK on the terms of the Implementation Period sets out that the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements during the Implementation Period.Therefore, the Implementation Period gives businesses certainty that common rules will remain in place until December 2020, meaning Scotch Whisky exporters will continue to trade on the same terms, including applying the same tariffs as now.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Finance

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest public expectation of the percentage of GDP to be devoted to defence spending in 2024 for each member of the NATO Alliance, in pursuit of their unanimous commitment, made at the Wales Summit in 2014, to move towards two per cent.

earl howe: The UK continues to encourage all Allies to work towards meeting the 2014 Defence Investment Pledge, under which they are committed to spending at least 2% of their GDP on Defence by 2024. The UK Government has committed to meeting that target and to ensuring that the Defence budget continues to rise by at least 0.5% above inflation for every year of this Parliament. The UK does not make its own assessment of other Allies' defence spend; it is for NATO to assess that against its own metrics, and it publishes regular reports on Allies' Defence spending.

Warships: Shipbuilding

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have applied any pressure on builders of Royal Navy surface ships and submarines to reduce planned completion timescales and thereby cut costs.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence works closely with its suppliers to ensure timely delivery of capability and cost control across all of its programmes.

Department for Work and Pensions

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have saved in housing benefit payments in each year since the introduction of the under occupancy charge as a result of the introduction of the charge; how many extra units of accommodation have been made available in each of those years as a result of that charge; and how many tenants have opted to continue occupying accommodation subject to the charge.

baroness buscombe: The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy has saved over £1.5 billion since its introduction in April 2013. Information on the number of households subject to a RSRS deduction and average deduction amounts is available via the DWP Stat Xplore website:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml Guidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html Deductions figures do not take into account any additional savings due to behavioural change before/after the policy has been introduced, for example moving to a smaller property to avoid a deduction. Information on extra units of accommodation made available due to the introduction of the policy is not currently available. However, the decline in the number of households subject to a deduction evident in the data on DWP Stat Xplore suggests that many people have been able to find alternative accommodation of a more suitable size. The DWP provided £54 million in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities in England and Wales in 2017/18 to provide support for vulnerable people affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy policy.  Notes Figures on Stat Xplore do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as this data is not currently available. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has been looking at the savings realised from the RSRS policy and may publish something in future.

Employment: Disability

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are they taking to promote a more inclusive work environment for people with disabilities and increase their participation in the workforce.

baroness buscombe: Our Disability Confident scheme aims to help and encourage more employers to become good employers of disabled people. Nearly 6,000 employers have already signed up to Disability Confident. Access to Work provides support of up to £57, 200 per annum in addition to any other benefits that disabled claimants may be entitled to, so that they can stay in work and progress to senior levels, while having their support needs met. As set out in the recent Command Paper, Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability, we want to work in partnership with employers to help them draw fully on the talents of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and build workplaces that promote the health and wellbeing of their workforce. We are taking a number of steps to do this, including improving advice and support for employers and exploring how to achieve the right balance of incentives and expectations.

Pensions: Females

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle the gender gap in pensions, as highlighted in a recent report from the Centre for Study of Financial Innovation,The Dependency Trap—are we fit enough to face the future?.

baroness buscombe: The report by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation raises issues concerning differences in earnings between genders that cannot be tackled by the pensions system alone. The Government remains committed to minimising the gender pay gap. On pension saving, through automatic enrolment into workplace pensions we are helping those who were historically disadvantaged in terms of occupational pension provision – often women and lower earners – to build up their retirement savings. Since the introduction of automatic enrolment the proportion of women employed full-time in the private sector without a workplace pension has decreased from 65 per cent in 2012 to 31 per cent in 2016. It is also equalising workplace pension participation among eligible men and women. In 2016, 73 per cent of eligible men and women in the private sector were saving into a workplace pension compared with 43 per cent and 40 per cent of eligible men and women respectively in the private sector in 2012. Our aim is to continue to increase the levels of retirement saving amongst all groups. The 2017 review of automatic enrolment sets out our ambition for strengthening the framework of workplace pension saving for lower paid workers (many of whom are women working part-time). Over the coming year we will work to build a renewed consensus to deliver the detailed design and implementation of our proposals.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage increase of people on working age disability benefits they anticipate following the introduction of planned increases to the state pension age from age 65 to 66, and 67 to 68.

baroness buscombe: The latest Fiscal Sustainability Report, contains estimates of the increase in State Pension Age. The table below shows the estimated number of people aged 66 and over on disability benefits as a proportion of the caseload aged under 66. Disability Benefits include Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance.   Proportion2018/190.0%2019/200.0%2020/210.0%2021/220.0%2022/230.0%2023/240.0%2024/250.0%2025/260.0%2026/271.0%2027/283.2%2028/294.4%2029/304.5%2030/314.6%2031/324.7%2032/334.6%2033/344.6%2034/354.6%2035/364.6%2036/374.5%2037/384.6%2038/394.4%2039/404.2%2040/414.1%2041/424.0%2042/433.9%2043/443.8%2044/454.8%2045/467.0%2046/478.5%2047/488.7%2048/498.6%2049/508.6%2050/518.6%



Fiscal Sustainability Report
(PDF Document, 2.41 MB)

Social Security Benefits: Disability

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the number of women in receipt of working age disability benefits has been affected by the rise in state pension age from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2018.

baroness buscombe: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer I gave her on 23 February 2018 to question number HL5600. The number of women in receipt of the main working age disability benefits, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), has not been affected by the rise in state pension age. New claims for DLA are currently only available for children under the age of 16 since the introduction of PIP on 8 April 2013. However, before the introduction of PIP, DLA had an upper age limit for making a new claim set at the day before a claimant’s 65th birthday. This is also the upper age limit to make a new claim for PIP and will rise in line with increases in state pension age.

Poverty

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the concept of relative poverty.

baroness buscombe: Relative low income sets a threshold as a proportion of the UK average (median) income and moves each year as average income changes. It is used to measure the number and proportion of individuals who have income below this threshold (typically 50, 60 or 70 per cent of the median). The percentage of individuals in relative low income will decrease if average (median) income stays the same or rises, and individuals with lower incomes see their incomes rise more than the average. The percentage of individuals in relative low income will also decrease if average (median) incomes fall, and individuals with lower incomes fall by less than average incomes. This second scenario, where individuals can move out of low income despite a fall in their own income, is an example where relative low income measures taken on their own might be misleading. A further hypothetical scenario where relative measures have their limitations is if all incomes doubled overnight there would be no change in relative low income estimates. This is why the Department also publishes a range of absolute low income measures. Absolute low income takes the 60 per cent of median income threshold in 2010/11 and adjusts this to take account of inflation. This is designed to assess how incomes are faring with reference to inflation over time. The percentage of individuals in absolute low income will decrease if individuals with lower incomes see their incomes increase by more than inflation. The Department also publishes a measure of persistent low income as the amount of time an individual has low income has been shown to have an impact on their actual standard of living. Persistent low income is defined as having had low income in at least 3 out of the last 4 years. Also a measure of material deprivation is published which measures whether individuals have access to a range of goods and services so provides a broader measure of living standards which goes beyond assessing income only. No one measure of poverty is able to fully capture the concept of a low standard of living in all economic circumstances. Taken together all these measures are required to provide a comprehensive assessment of living standards.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Products: UK Trade with EU

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to table their proposals around rules of animal origin so negotiations are structured around a UK proposal rather than the EU's standard text.

lord gardiner of kimble: As the Prime Minister has previously said, the government does not propose to give a running commentary on negotiations, but standards concerning products of animal origin and animal movements are being given detailed consideration by my department. Leaving the EU does not change our top priority which is to ensure that UK food remains safe and labelling is accurate. Defra is working closely with the Food Standards Agency and Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the regulatory regime for food safety remains robust as the UK leaves the EU, in order to protect public health and retain the confidence of consumers and international trading partners.From day one we are committed to having in place a robust and effective regulatory regime which will mean business can continue as normal. As we develop our new approach to food and farming outside the EU, we will not compromise on our high standards of animal welfare.

Trees

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the main threats to the health of beech trees in England.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our approach for managing the pressures on our trees. This includes climate change, high populations of squirrels and deer, and certain pests and diseases: There are ten pests on the UK Plant Health Risk Register which list Fagus as a major host, including several species of Phytophthora, wood boring beetles and moths. There are a total of 53 pests which pose a threat to broadleaved trees in general, and it is likely that some of these pests will also have Fagus as a host. Beech trees are susceptible to grazing by deer and bark stripping by squirrels, which can leave the tree vulnerable to infection. The Forestry Commission assessed the likely impacts of climate change on existing beech woodland in its 2012 Adaptation Reporting Power report. This concluded that beech may become increasingly challenged in the south and east on lighter and/or thinner soils.

Trees

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the main threats to the health of lime trees in England.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our approach for managing the pressures on our trees. This includes climate change, high populations of squirrels and deer, and certain pests and diseases: There are seven pests, mainly moths and other insect species, on the UK Plant Health Risk Register which list Tillia as a major host. There are a total of 53 pests which pose a threat to broadleaved trees in general and it is likely that some of these pests will also have Tillia as a host. Lime trees seem to be unpalatable to deer and are not vulnerable to bark stripping by squirrels. There has been no specific assessment of the impacts of climate change on lime trees to date.

Environment Protection

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the new independent body to replace the EU’s environmental enforcement mechanisms will have power to initiate legal action should they fail to meet its commitments; and what tools it will have to ensure that the UK complies with environmental goals after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: On 10 May we published a consultation on a new, independent, statutory body to hold Government to account on environmental standards once we have left the EU, and on a new statutory policy statement on environmental principles to apply once we have left. This will support our long term ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than that in which we inherited it. In order to ensure we have robust systems in place to facilitate the successful implementation of environmental law, we currently propose that the new body should have three main functions: providing independent scrutiny and advice; responding to complaints about Government’s delivery of environmental law; and enforcing Government’s delivery of environmental law where necessary. The proposed enforcement function would involve giving the new body a remit and powers to be able to take action against Government in cases where it considers that environmental law is not being properly applied. We believe that advisory notices should be the main form of enforcement, and should always be applied in the first instance before any further steps are considered. Beyond such advisory notices, there may be a case to introduce other enforcement mechanisms and the Government is seeking views on this through the consultation.

Birds: Conservation

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the turtle dove population from further decline.

lord gardiner of kimble: Turtle doves are a priority species for conservation in the UK. In England the Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardships schemes continue to provide funding for the provision of both food and habitat to support the turtle dove. Turtle doves are a target priority species for Countryside Stewardship. Under this scheme, Natural England is working with the farming community and key nature conservation Non-Governmental Organisations to put in place the right land management to benefit Turtle Doves in known species hotspots.

Birds: Conservation

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect farmland birds in the development of agricultural policy.

lord gardiner of kimble: On 27 February the Government launched the consultation document ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit’.Our new agricultural policy will be underpinned by payment of public money for the provision of public goods such as biodiversity, which farmland bird populations could contribute to. In the consultation document, thriving wildlife and improved biodiversity are listed as some of the potential outcomes of a future environmental land management system.The consultation closed on 8 May, the results of which will help to inform our future policy.

Home Office

Hate Crime: Females

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many offencesagainst women perpetrated by people identifying as trans have been reported in each of the last five years.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many offences against women within single-sex services, perpetrated by people identifying as trans, have been reported in each of the last five years.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many violent crimesagainst women have been perpetrated by people identifying as trans in each of the last five years.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people identifying as trans have been victims of violent crimes in each of the last five years.

baroness williams of trafford: It is difficult to assess how many crimes have been perpetrated by or against people identifying as trans because the Home Office holds information on notifiable crimes reported to and recorded by the police but this does not include whether a victim or perpetrator of a crime identifies as trans.In February 2018, the Office for National Statistics published articles on the natures of violent and sexual crime in England and Wales in 2016/17. These articles provide information on what we know about the victims and perpetrators of violent or sexual offences, but there are no figures for people identifying themselves as trans.Individual forces may record information on transgender victims and perpetrators, but there is no current requirement for them to send such data to the Home Office as part of their regular data returns.We want transgender people to be healthy, happy, and able to live their lives free from discrimination and distress and we are delivering on our commitment to review the Gender Recognition Act to move to a gender recognition system that works better for trans people.

Slavery

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of an increased use of technology at the border on safeguarding people from modern slavery.

baroness williams of trafford: Border Force has a role in identifying victims and perpetrators of modern slavery as they arrive in the UK. At the primary checkpoint, Border Force Officers have the unique advantage of being the first point of contact with UK authorities for many vulnerable children and adults as well as the criminals who traffic them.New technological capabilities such as eGates offer a high standard of identification verification.Border Force has developed an additional layer of security, by deploying roving officers in front of the eGates observing and interacting with passengers. At smaller ports an extra message appears when a child uses the gate and halts the transaction until the monitoring Border Force Officer is satisfied there are no safeguarding concerns.Where there are concerns, including safeguarding, passengers are directed to a manual control for further questioning.Furthermore, all freight vehicles and a percentage of tourist vehicles entering the UK through the juxtaposed controls are screened for people being smuggled into the UK using a range of techniques. This includes using carbon dioxide detectors and motion sensors as well as sniffer dogs to detect clandestines who are potentially victims of trafficking. Border Force have upgraded the heartbeat monitors , which are now called motion detectors (Clantect) as these detect more than just heartbeats.Whilst not uniquely a result of technology, BF internal performance data shows a significant increase in identification of potential victims of Modern Slavery during this current year

Slavery

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of resources available to the Border Force to combat modern slavery.

baroness williams of trafford: We have always been clear that Border Force has the resources it needs to secure the borderBorder Security is achieved through a multi- layered system of capabilities, including: people, technology, intelligence, and joint working. All frontline officers undertake training in keeping children safe, Section 55 safeguarding responsibilities, trafficking indicators, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), FGM and Modern Slavery.Border Force also has a network of specially trained Safeguarding and Modern Slavery officers who receive specialist training. All Border Force training has recently been reviewed and updated to make it more victim focussed, taking into account the recommendations made by the ICIB Trafficking Inspection and Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner.BF internal performance data shows a significant increase in identification of potential victims of Modern Slavery during this current year. This is attributable to training and raised awareness levels due to periods of intensification with other law enforcement partners to target exploitation.

Slavery

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration,A re-inspection of Border Force's identification and treatment of Potential Victims of Modern Slaverypublished on 28 March, that one Roving Officer does not provide effective safeguarding when there are high levels of passengers.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government response to the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, A re-inspection of Border Force’s identification and treatment of potential Victims of Modern Slavery, was published on 28th March 2018. Roving Officers are one of the tools used for safeguarding purposes at ports, alongside monitoring officers, behavioural detection training and the targeted use of intelligence.Whilst, under current Border Force policy instructions, only one Roving Officer is required for terminals with six to 10 e-Passport gates, additional Roving Officers will be deployed based on considerations such as threat level, risk assessment of flights and the number of arrivals. Border Force has committed to review Roving Officer policy this summer. This review will consider the sufficiency of these safeguarding arrangements.

Immigration

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the intended purpose of powers granted to the Home Office under paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Rules to deny indefinite leave to remain applications; and whether minor tax errors on a indefinite leave to remain application warrant the use of said powers.

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to reassess the use of paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Rules by the Home Office on indefinite leave to remain cases denied due to tax errors.

baroness williams of trafford: It is not the Government’s policy to refuse applications solely due to minor tax errors. Where these are identified, applicants are given a right to explain any discrepancy. Any such case is signed off by a manager before refusal grounds are applied.We have refused applications where there are substantial differences – often tens of thousands of pounds – between the earnings used to claim points in an immigration application and an applicant’s HMRC records, without a credible explanation from the applicant. We take all available evidence into account before making a decision. Paragraph 322(5) is used where the evidence shows that an applicant’s character and conduct is such that their application should be refused.As the Immigration Minister advised the Home Affairs Select Committee on 8 May, we will carry out a review of these cases to see how many showed clear evidence of deceit, and how many were minor errors.

Treasury

Public Sector: Redundancy Pay

lord robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to implement the public sector exit payment cap and regulations as provided for in Part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2016.

lord bates: The Government is committed to making exit payments fairer to the taxpayer. The public sector exit payment cap was legislated for in the last parliament and requires further consultation before coming into force. We continue to engage with key departments on exit reforms.

Taxation: Rebates

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action theyare taking to combat tax refund scams.

lord bates: The most common form of tax refund scam involves criminals abusing HMRC’s brand by trying to make it look like an email or text has come from HMRC. HMRC has dedicated Customer Protection teams within their Cyber Security Command Centres to combat Phishing (email) and SMiShing (texting) attacks, including those offering spurious tax refunds. They use a range of proactive and reactive techniques to identify and challenge online scams in order to reduce harm to the public. In the last year, the teams above have identified over 14,000 malicious HMRC-related websites and requested their removal. HMRC also challenge the ownership of misleading sites through formal internet dispute resolution governance. That work has resulted in over 2 million visits to potentially misleading sites being redirected to gov.uk education pages. HMRC works closely with other government departments and with industry to continue to develop controls to combat tax refund scams.

Customs

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the feasibility of implementing each of the customs models set out in the Customs White Paper by the end of the transition period.

lord bates: The UK and the EU have reached agreement on the terms of an implementation period that will start on 30 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020. At the end of the implementation period, there will be a customs, VAT and excise system that enables trade to flow, HMRC to collect revenues, and the UK to have a secure border. Future customs arrangements are subject to negotiation with the EU.

Customs

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to business of implementing the New Customs Partnership model.

lord bates: The costs to businesses of implementing the model would depend on the details agreed as part of the negotiations.

Police: Apprentices

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much police forces have (1) paid into, and (2) received from, the apprenticeship levy since it was introduced.

lord hogan-howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the police service in England and Wales has spent on the apprenticeship scheme since it started.

lord bates: It is only possible to accurately determine the total Apprenticeship Levy payments made by police forces and the amount of funds entering their apprenticeship service accounts at disproportionate costs. This is because HMRC and DfE administrative data is not produced in a form where police forces and their associated PAYE schemes are easily identifiable.

Work Experience

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employers have been contacted by HMRC in the past yearregarding their advertisement of unpaid internships; whether they will publish a list of those employers; and whether they will publish the correspondence sent by HMRC to such employers.

lord bates: The government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or use the online pay and work rights complaints form on gov.uk. HMRC review all complaints that are referred to them. HMRC has contacted over 1,000 employers who advertise unpaid internships over the past year, signposting them to NMW guidance to help ensure they are compliant. The names of the employers contacted cannot be divulged for confidentiality reasons, and there are no plans to publish the correspondence sent by HMRC to such employers.   There are no special rules in respect of interns for NMW purposes, and depending on the arrangements between the parties an intern can either be a worker, a voluntary worker or a volunteer. When HMRC investigate an intern’s entitlement to the NMW the reality of the working relationship is carefully considered.